Trending Google Caps SERPs at 10 Results - Goodbye 100 Result SERPs!

[ElizabethRule]

Google recently limited search results to just 10 per page, removing the ability to generate 100-result search pages that many SEO tools have relied on for comprehensive rank tracking. This change significantly impacts tools like Ahrefs, which have reported that rankings beyond the top 10 will now be inconsistent. As a result, users may see fewer data points, making it harder to track SERP results past the top 10. (Twitter)

This could definitely shake up how SEOs analyze and report on local search performance. The top 10 can only tell you so much, and without the full picture, spotting broader trends and tracking algorithm updates gets a lot trickier. We might need to get creative with alternative ways to track bigger trends or find workarounds to get more accurate ranking data with this new SERP limit.

What do you think of this change? Are you planning to adjust your local SEO reporting or strategies because of it?

 

[fisicx]

TBH, I'm surprised Google hasn't restricted this long ago as they have always argued that using automated tools violates their terms of service. They used to have a specific clause about this in their terms.

 

[Thunderdigitals]

Now, most of the bot traffic is removed.

 

[JS Girard]

Tyler Gargula analysis, reported by Barry, seems to indicate that a not insignificant amount of "results" were entirely generated by rank checking tools. I think it's appropriate for such results to not be part of the stats.

In fact, I had noted to my coworkers in sales (who have limited understanding of actual SEO at best) that for clients who do not have a lot of traffic, overuse of grid ranks can and WILL distort the impression numbers returned by Google (as if Google wasn't distorting them on its own enough already!).